Guests face brown tap water, poor food options & faulty lifts on Christmas Day cruise from S'pore

Marketed as a "hybrid" cruise experience, World Legacy, operated by World Cruises, welcomed its first guests from Singapore on Dec. 23, but ran into choppy waters.

It previously cancelled its maiden voyage two days before it was scheduled to open on Dec. 19.

Guests who boarded on Christmas Day were reportedly let down by a confusing check-in process, dismal food options, and entertainment options that they felt were not as advertised.

Things were made worse by issues such as weak air-conditioning, brownish tap water and faulty lifts.

Delayed departure date

On its website, World Legacy is described as a "hybrid between a convenient day-cruise destination and a full multi-night getaway."

"Guests can visit for a few hours, enjoy a full day on a flexible schedule, or stay for an extended 3D2N experience in one of the ship’s 305 cabins," World Cruises wrote.

To board the cruise, guests in Singapore board "dedicated ferries" from HarbourFront Centre and sail for "slightly over an hour".

Tickets currently cost S$38 for a day cruise, or S$63 for a one-night experience.

However, woes began even before the first voyage, Shin Min Daily News reported.

According to Shin Min, the maiden voyage was previously scheduled for Dec. 19.

Just two days before, on Dec. 17, guests were informed via email that the trip was cancelled.

The cruise line finally welcomed guests on Dec. 23, but many took to social media to share about problems they ran into.

No boarding instructions given

Liu (transliteration), 27, boarded World Legacy on Christmas Day.

She told Shin Min that she and her partner paid S$158 for a room with a window.

Although she received her tickets, the boarding instructions were not made clear, including the boarding time and location.

On the day of her trip, she headed to the cruise centre and waited.

It was only after she approached the ground staff that she was taken to the boarding area, where she boarded a ferry bound for the cruise.

"We embarked at around 10:20 am, but were told we could only check in at 3 pm," Liu recounted.

Confusion

Onboard, issues persisted.

For one, the only lift on the cruise was not working.

To add to the confusion, the time displayed on the cruise alternated between Singapore and Indonesian time.

The queue for check-in eventually stretched across the floors.

Guests were subsequently told to wait in the restaurant.

Liu was eventually assigned to a room on the seventh floor, but her key did not work.

She was told that if she wanted to have a room immediately, she would have to "downgrade" to a room with no windows, which she declined.

"It was only around 10 pm to 11 pm that I finally got into a room on the fifth floor," Liu shared.

Brownish water from tap

In the room, she discovered that the water from the tap was brownish, which made her worry about hygiene issues.

According to Shin Min, a guest similarly complained on social media that when they boarded World Legacy on Christmas Day, they found that the tap was not working and there was waste matter left in the toilet.

At around 2 pm, there was apparently a widespread power and water outage on the cruise, the user said.

Another Christmas Day guest shared on social media that the cruise liner agreed to provide a refund after their complaints.

Only casino was open

Apart from the iffy check-in process and technical issues, Liu pointed out that the food and entertainment options also fell short of expectations.

Of the three restaurants onboard, only one was open.

Guests were served bland soup and fruits that were not fresh.

"The breakfast selection also missed the mark. They only had cereal and porridge, and we only got milk after we requested for it," Liu shared.

Many of the entertainment and activities were also not ready for guests.

The air-conditioning was also reportedly weak, which made the environment stuffy.

A social media user also shared that the area, which was advertised as an alfresco dining area, was sealed off.

The only area that appeared operational was the casino, the user wrote.

According to the user, guests could cover the entire ship in 15 minutes.

New guests unsettled

After hearing about the complaints, those who had tickets booked for Dec. 28 expressed unease.

Li (transliteration), 34, boarded World Legacy with her 13-year-old and nine-year-old daughters in tow at 12 pm.

She told Shin Min that she had reached out to World Cruises after reading about the complaints on Facebook.

The cruise line replied, saying that they have made adjustments to address the feedback, according to Li.

She pointed out that she did not see any service desk while she was boarding the cruise, which affected her experience.

Another guest, Huang (transliteration), 52, shared that his relatives suggested he bring his own entertainment onto the cruise.

He and his family of four paid S$194 for one night on World Legacy.

Despite what he had heard, Huang told Shin Min that he remained optimistic and was willing to give the cruise line a chance, but hoped they had made the necessary adjustments.

Cruise is in testing phase: Spokesperson

Responding to Shin Min's queries, a World Legacy spokesperson said that they regret any inconvenience caused by changes in the cruise's schedule.

The spokesperson added that the cruise line is in its testing phase and has yet to become fully operational.

This will allow the team to optimise systems and processes before things enter into full swing, the spokesperson explained.

The spokesperson added that during this period, certain aspects in terms of facilities and service may fall short of expectations.

However, it has already dispatched relevant teams to address the various complaints it has received, such as the lift and air-conditioning issues.

Top image via Shin Min Daily News